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Astria Portia
"Oh great space donut, may you send us afar and bring us back safely, I shall sacrifice many jelly filled confections in your honor." "Can't we have breakfast once without him doing that?" "Well you can't argue we've had thirty missions and come back safe on each one since he started...something must be working." ~Explorer Team GT-5, in the mess hall for their morning ritual. ---- One of the most iconic and well known forms of Legacy devices known scattered everywhere throughout the Milky Way Galactic Cluster, the Pegasus Galaxy, The Ida Galaxy, Andromeda and Triangulum, and scattered less and less throughout other galaxies in the universe (With a increase in concentration in a Galaxy within the Ophiuchus Supercluster). Called the Astria Portia, or any number of a Dozen other names, they may take several forms, from older spinning types to the more advanced, though they all connect to the same subspace network between the stars Allowing connections to be made from one to another, so long as the destination and point of origin are known. They all appear similar in design. A large ring several meters in diameter with a large opening and 9 "nodes" around the rim. Even the newest design seems to require all 9, though the precise reasoning for such are unknown. Composed of primarily a high capacitance material, Naquadah being primary, though other materials, such as Trinium or Neutronium may work just as well, Even Copper can work in a pinch (Though perhaps only once or twice before the metal itself melts) so long as the Conductivity is there to provide for the storage of the power required. other components are likewise incorporated (usually into the nodes) and in most cases hardwired into the system making it not really serviceable to open up and take apart. Most of the Gates have 30 some Glyphs imbedded on the surface which are part of the navigational system. Some of the older ones use a coordinate based system relative to the gate itself, or for the ones of primary use in the Milky way, Various star arrangements based on observation from the planet the gate is located on are in use. there seems to be little difference other than perhaps artistic license taken at the time by whichever race constructed the gates. To activate a gate, most often times a device is needed to access the systems, input the coordinate address and initiate the activation. Some gates, like those in the Milky Way, are capable of being "Dialed" manually by turning the inner ring with the coordinates once sufficient capacitance charge has been reached within the system. The reason for this is unknown, however it may be a safety measure implemented after some of the older gates were developed, and before they were made redundant by advanced remote technology. To activate a gate, power must be fed into the device, and then a series of 7 coordinates are input, the first 6 designate a location within the network, with the 7th being the point of origin. When a gate is being powered up the nodes around the ring will light up as each coordinate is input. When a gate is being accessed from a remote gate, likewise the nodes will begin to light up. It's been unconfirmed that the reason there is a time delay between remote activation and the activation of the nodes to alert that there is incoming travelers is another security measure to ensure that the area in front of the gate is cleared so those on the receiving end do not get hurt. This seems to be accomplished by a preemptive signal being sent with the entrance of the first coordinate to all gates that use that coordinate as an access, then narrowing down as each additional coordinate is entered, As the target gate is locked in, the alert notification is transmitted and the nodes illuminate during the couple of seconds for connection to be made. Those who study the effect have noticed that until both ends are connected fully there is a small time dilation between the formation of one end of the Portia and the other. Whether a intentional design or a side effect they are uncertain. Normal navigation within a galaxy requires only 7 coordinates. Dialing to a Extra-galactic address requires 8 (it's believed the 8th coordinate is for distance or as a means of determining Relative Non-localized parameters (Similar to one symbol being used for the point of origin, the 8th symbol changes the relative galactic location with one Symbol being for Andromeda, another for Triangulum etc...)) There are rumors of a 9 point system, though precisely what the 9th point would be for is uncertain. Nearly any kind of energy source can be used to power a gate, from reactors, to lightning. The gate is designed to absorb as much energy into itself as possible. this does mean that in some cases the charge of energy can exceed the capacitance and the gate then releases the stored energy explosively. Though it tends to take a great deal of energy to supercharge a gate like this. For normal inputting of coordinates most gates function either by way of using a remote activator, or a control device. The standard control device has all the possible symbols for that gate on it, and those can then be input by touching the correct coordinates in the proper order, then once input, a central key activates the gate. As mentioned before some of the gates can be manually operated, though it's not nearly as efficient. Gates that lack a control device are not as regularly updated with the rest of the network to compensate for things such as stellar drift, and over time may not be able to connect to various other gates in the network due to the relative shift making the destination coordinates invalid. Some of the older gates lack even galactic range and are more localized to areas within a certain light year distance. Though whether or not they can receive a incoming gate from a more powerful gate in the galaxy or a more powerful gate from a Extra-galactic source is unknown. ---- What it does The Astria Portia Creates a point to point tunnel through Subspace commonly referred to as a Wormhole. A wormhole is a subspace bridge created between 2 locations that allow matter to be transferred through one end to the other. Although not traveling at a higher speed, a wormhole reduces the distance necessary to reach a given location within itself. Transit from Gate to gate is generally between 3 to 20 seconds. Wormholes are devoid of mass and matter effectively being comprised of energy. When a given address is inputted, the gate being accessed connects to the target gate over a subspace link and quickly exchanges precise locational details then establishes a stable wormhole between them. Wormholes are only one-way, and must be entered through the dialing gate. The Stargate creates what is known as a Event horizon in front of the opening, this isn't really a barrier but instead a field that allows the gate's mechanisms to scan, energize and transmit any object attempting to pass through it so it is not damaged or killed by exposure. The Event Horizon in essence wraps around the matter seeking passage until the entirety of the mass is enclosed, Energizes all the particles within, essentially allowing the matter to be conveyed as Energy. Once the matter has been converted, the gate then fires it through the wormhole to the receiving gate, where the process is reversed and the matter is de-energized at the Event Horizon at the other end. Travel through a Stargate is strictly one-way: from the dialing gate to the receiving gate. This is not a limitation of the wormhole, but of the technology; wormholes will transmit anything that enters them, but two energy patterns traveling in opposite directions would collide catastrophically, thus as a safety precaution, each gate in the pair takes on a specific role: the dialing gate energizes and transmits the traveler while the receiving gate de-energizes and emits the traveler. it is believed that along with the traveler is sent along the scanned pattern of the matter to be re-integrated which the receiving gate uses to entail that the item is de-energized and is not warped by the transit. Velocity is constant when entering and exiting, as the form of Velocity is simply another addition of energy applied to the whole. this means that a person walking at a casual pace will emerge walking at the same, whereas a rocket or skimmer vehicle hitting the gate at full speed will emerge with the velocity translated to the same on the other side. it's believed that the Velocity constant is a way that the Gate system knows a Intentional transit of matter from an environmental transit. Should a gate be submerged beneath the water, opening the gate to transit elsewhere does not let the water rush in, even though due to pressure it would normally be forced into the event horizon. Another safety feature perhaps, or merely a side effect of how the Event Horizon works. If a barrier is placed just in front of the event horizon then the matter is unable to re-integrate from energized form and ends up Supercompressed, torn apart by compression forces and broken down by the Event horizon into Little more than composite molecules. normally attempting to enter a receiving wormhole will be like a kinetic barrier, On older gates, it seems there was no safety feature of the sort and the Entrance of a wormhole "backwards" would result in de-energization of the Atomic level of the intended item or being, which would effectively Drop the tissue to Near Absolute Zero in milliseconds and then expel it without a pattern check which essentially turns a being into superchilled atomic dust. (in fact on certain gates that are not properly tuned, too much energy can be extracted on the de-energization process and thus cause ice crystals to form from water molecules in the object, or cause a being to be subjected to extreme cold. This usually only happens on old and highly neglected gates however) Certain forms of energy, including radio waves can be transmitted both ways through a wormhole as the system does not register them as being particulate mater to be energized or de-energized (As they are a waveform) and allows communication through an open gate. Only one gate on a planet can be active at a time. It's not entirely known what may cause this, but some rules do apply to determine which of multiple gates on a planet will become active. The latest generation of gate usually has first priority, followed by an older gate with a control module attached, followed by a gate without a module attached (In order of generation, middle to old to retro-engineered) To finally the older gates, with retro-engineered gates (AKA ones built by younger races based on the original design) usually the last. Though certain Retro-engineered gates can preclude others, this is believed to be a side effect of the programming used and able to be deciphered and integrated into the gate. A power surge at the transmitting gate can cause a Destination gate to "jump" From one gate to another within a specific area (usually within planetary bounds, though sometimes to a neighboring star system). If any gate is currently in use on a target planet, then the gate will not attempt to finalize a connection from itself to the target. This is regardless of how many gates are on the planet. Also a gate cannot dial the location it currently is occupying even if there is another gate present on the planet. Wormhole mechanics using the Gates are such that in order to generate a stable portal between two gates a certain distance in real and Sub space is required to exist between the two otherwise the bridge instantly collapses. ---- The Networks Despite the age of the gate involved, or more accurately generation, All gates are considered to be part of a network. Imbedded programming has them sending information from one to another through subspace to update on positions, verify activity, maintain valid connections and tie in new information for operation. it's believed this was so that rather than manually having to go from gate to gate to upload new information that the gate systems could upload it into one gate, and have that gate transmit the new data to all the others. In the event of a new safety feature or improved transmission sequence, or any other type of update, having them network together to share information saves time and trouble. Gates come in 2 essential forms, Those built by the original creators, and those built by the younger races, referred to as Retro-engineered gates. of the original gates, there are varying degrees of generational design. The first generation (sometimes referred to as a prototype or proto-gate) have the shortest range, the least features, and in many cases, though part of the gate network, may not be able to make use of all the update features other than location and position updates. As technology improved the design changed and thus more advanced designs were possible. On some worlds proto-gates were just left where they were and new systems installed, or they were broken down and recycled into the new design. The newest generation of gates is mostly regarded as being the near pinnacle of gate construction, and also scattered and potentially rare to find in a Galactic neighborhood (outside of the Pegasus Galaxy which seems to be where they seem to have started seeding the more advanced gate design). A Retro-engineered gate is usually a gate built by a younger race who has studied either a damaged gate, or an active one, and managed to engineer enough of it to make a working device. rarely will a planet that has a working gate already allow the device to be dismantled and retro-engineered for fear of damage or otherwise loosing the gate for access to the stars. In fact most gates are nigh impossible to scan too easily (As the gate itself absorbs the energy and returns no information) or take apart (As the workings are usually integrated into the machine itself precluding having access hatches or interface panels to open up and poke around in). if the gate has been engineered properly, then one of the first things it will do is connect to the network and "announce" it's presence to those gates in range, who will update themselves with the new coordinates. A Retro-engineered gate is usually rather dangerous to make use of, as with older generational gates, it may not incorporate all the safety features of the more modern gates, or may be missing components that allows it to interface properly. The exceptions to this are a few examples of civilizations that built What amount to Retro-engineered gates, that are on par advancement wise with the more modern generation gates. Though for several of these instances they have had additional information such as schematics from the original builders or a older race with experience with the gates assistance in their construction. Since the original gates are near indestructible and in plentiful supply, it's much easier to transplant a gate from one world to another rather than construct your own. A society building it's own gates is quite the exception instead of the rule. ---- Additional In order for a wormhole to be formed the central part of the ring has to be clear of particulate matter. So long as the center is clear (To a span of a few micrometers) then the wormhole will be able to form. This means that by placing a physical obstruction, or burying the gate itself in solid matter, you can effectively block the gate from sending or receiving a wormhole connection. If receiving, the gate seeking the connection will receive a error signal and not connect. Another concern, and the reason it is believed that the nodes light up and alert someone to an incoming wormhole, is because of the energy release at the formation of the wormhole. Once a wormhole is established Supspacial energy is voided out of the "tunnel" through both ends of the gateway. This causes the Event horizon to "erupt" outwards with energized force till it's stabilized. Any matter in the path of this eruption is effectively annihilated due to the unstable conditions present for the initial few seconds of the Wormhole and Horizon forming. Why there is not a feature that keeps the gate from activating if there is matter in the way is unknown, perhaps the creators thought that providing warning was enough for most sentient beings to comprehend they had to get out of the way to avoid danger. A dense physical mass just at the aperture or a energy field does seem to contain the eruption and keep it from expanding forth, Though in the case of physical matter it is assumed that the Event horizon actually forms against the material and contains the eruption back into the wormhole itself. Acting as sort of a layer that keeps the Event horizon from destabilizing as it forms and thus keeping the material from being annihilated. Generally Wormholes can be maintained through a cycle of 38 standard earth minutes, though with applicable power (or spacial distortions) this time can be extended near indefinitely. Normally the power comes from the transmitting gate, however if power is lost before the Receiving gate has received all fully energized transit objects (not partial) it will remain powered long enough from it's own stored source to finish the re-integration. One danger is what is known as partial passage. It's been stated that a Event Horizon is capable of determining ambient or intentional passage of material from the environment, it also only transmits Whole forms together rather than partial matter (otherwise if you stick a finger in the Event Horizon you couldn't pull it back as it would already be on it's way) This does not, however, preclude what is known as partial passage, or "stuck halfway". wherein a material object is partially within the Event Horizon when the gate is shut down. When the gate is shut down the Wormhole collapses and the Event Horizon disengages, if that happens with part of a material object within it the object is severed. All the material within the Event Horizon is sublimated into Subspace, while the non integrated is left in Realspace. It's generally accepted that the reason this happens instead of expending more energy to keep the gate open or a Ejection of the physical matter as a safety feature is because the creators could not imagine a situation where someone would shut down the gate with someone only partially within the Event Horizon, or in fact why they would power up the gate to begin with if not to complete transit. Without the initial builders on hand, making a modification that would allow such risks imposing strange new parameters into the gate network, and the risk of there being a conflict that could cause the entirety to shut down is enough justification for most species to not attempt such and merely accept that one must be smart and cautious when utilizing the gate to begin with. Category:Technology